


Book 5: Aftermath

by Mildly_Archaic



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Book 5 non-canon idea, Light Jinora/Kai, Lots of OCs - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-12 14:02:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16874208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mildly_Archaic/pseuds/Mildly_Archaic
Summary: Kuvira has surrendered, and her Empire crumbled. But not all of her supporters are content to hand over power so quickly.With the new Earth Nation locked in political strife as it attempts to form a constitution, the Republic taking a formal stance of neutrality, and the rest of the world wary of entering an internal conflict, individual generals in Kuvira's force have dug in and tried to claim pockets of land as their own. One of these rogue provinces, Bogao, is soon to be a battleground of cloak and dagger, as Avatar Korra's diplomatic mission, a group of local freedom fighters, and elements far more sinister all set plans in motion...A short work, serving as a wrap-up of Book 4 and paving the way for a continued Legend of Korra, by introducing characters, settings, and elements I hope to revisit in the future. This is my first real attempt at writing fanfiction of any scale, so all advise and comments are more than welcome! Hope you enjoy!





	1. Sifting Through the Ashes

**Author's Note:**

> As I said, this's hopefully setting up for a larger world to be continued, so bear in mind going forward that, while this story is self-contained, each character's individual journey may not be completed by the end of this one.
> 
> In addition, this is my first real attempt at writing a fanfiction, or really any story, longer than a few pages. So any criticism is welcome, though constructive would be appreciated. Without any further ado, sit back and enjoy!

“There have been a number of questions posed to my office and those of my secretaries over the past few weeks, regarding the current state of the Old Earth Kingdom. As most of you doubtlessly know, the surrender of Kuvira and her vanguard three weeks ago was not well received throughout her fledgeling empire. Her absence has created a power vacuum across the entire continent. Some of her generals have obeyed her order to stand down, and we remain in the process of exact peace accords with them. Others, however, have been a bit more… reluctant to lay down arms.”

Raiko took a moment to clear his throat and collect his thoughts before he continued his radio address. “All throughout the Old Earth Kingdom, isolated pockets of imperial forces are digging in and attempting to consolidate their holdings. We do not know precisely how many of them are out there, and some have shown a willingness to open to diplomatic contact, however the majority are a clear and present danger to the newly reformed Parliament of Earth, and some have already begun raids on disputed fringe territory.”

He took a deep breath. This was the real meat of the issue. This was what could lose him votes. “The United Republic is, as of this day, issuing a formal statement of neutrality in this conflict. It was assumed by many that we would come to the defense of Director Wu and the Parliament, however at the present time we simply cannot afford to militarily intercede. The invasion by Kuvira and her forces has left us in no position to get involved in what is, ultimately, an internal conflict.”

“We will, alongside the Fire Nation and the Water Tribes, be helping to fund humanitarian relief efforts for those whose lives are being disrupted by this time of tragedies. In addition, Avatar Korra has volunteered to lead a diplomatic mission to attempt to find peaceful resolution to this anarchy. For now, our greatest attention must be directed to repairing the damage done to our proud city. In this as well, our generous foreign allies have pledged to give aid. It is going to be a tough few months, but I know the spirit of this city, and we will not let this be the end of our home. Thank you.”

Stepping back from the microphone, Raiko coughed and sighed. His voice was beginning to grow hoarse from all the inspiring, motivating speeches he had been giving. Not that he cared, of course; after what his fellow citizens had recently been through, a sore throat was something he cared very little about.

The technician on the other side of the glass wall flashed Raiko a thumbs-up, and spoke through his headset. “We got it loud and clear, Mister President. Broadcast was successful.”

“Good,” Raiko replied, stepping through the door and smoothing out a wrinkle in his collar. “I presume the message was sent across the Republic, and to our soldiers abroad?”

“Yes Mister President,” the man said, before pausing and listening into his headphones. “ I’ve already received three calls asking to speak with you about the speech.”

Raiko sighed again. He would be late for dinner, for the third time that week. He made a mental note to take Buttercup out somewhere luxurious later to make up for it. “Thank you, that will be all.”  
* * *

Bolin sighed loudly for the third time in the past five minutes. The other four inhabitants of Air Temple Island’s dining hall - Varrick, Zhu Li, Mako, and Kya- glanced up at him.

Mako decided to take the bait. “Alright bro, what’s on your mind?”

The earthbender flopped onto his back on the table and began gesturing as he spoke. “I’m just worried about Korra and Asami. They left without a word, they never sent us a postcard, and then suddenly we get a wire from Katara that the two of them stopped by the south pole? What have they been up to?”

Varrick piped up from across the room. “Maybe they’re just taking a vacation. We ought to follow their lead. We’ve definitely all earned one.”

Zhu Li smiled and kissed her husband’s cheek. “The honeymoon will have to wait, Iknik. We still have a lot of work to do around here; deals to sign, grants to give. You heard the President’s speech this morning. Republic City needs people like us right now.” She gestured at the room. “All of us.”  
* * *

Korra stretched and yawned. Lazily opening her eyes, the avatar watched spirits dancing in the skies above her. Farther above, clouds rolled placidly by, and beyond those she could just make out a few stars fading in the growing dawn. She sniffed a little and yawned again, smelling the now-familiar pang of woodsmoke. Rolling onto her side on the straw mat, Korra watched Asami fiddling with the circuits on a shockglove, sitting next to a cozy fire.

Asami glanced at the stirring avatar and smiled. “Hey Korra,” she said, setting the glove down and reaching for a stick near the fire. She stabbed at a small fish roasting, then held it out to Korra. “I made breakfast”

The Avatar slid off the mat and sat next to her companion, taking the fish and biting into the well-done meat hungrily. “You’re up awfully early. I thought we agreed it was my turn to cook.” she said between bites, turning to look at Asami as she spoke. The woman’s dark hair had been tied back into a double ponytail -Korra had taught her to do that-, and her Future Industries jacket was lain out behind her, still drying from a bad run-in with a water spirit the day before. Her black tank top and work pants were luckily warm enough for the prairie they were camped out in.

Asami smiled and blushed ever so slightly, taking a bite of her own fish. “Well… I wanted to treat you. I know it’s hard to keep time exactly, here in the Spirit World, but by my best estimates, it’s been two weeks since we left the city. Considering we left on the fifth of the month, you know what that means, right?”

Korra took a thoughtful bite and furrowed her brow, thinking intently. She sighed and then smiled at Asami. “Okay, I give up. What does it mean?”

“It means that it’s been exactly four years since we first met at that gala of Tarrlok’s!” Asami said with a laugh. “I feel like I’ve known you for so much longer than that though, you know?”

Korra’s smile broadened and she nodded. “Yeah, I get what you mean. We’ve changed so much. Not just you and me, all of us. It’s been a crazy four years.”

The nonbender scooted closer, resting her head on Korra’s shoulder. “There’s nobody I’d rather have spent them with.” She leaned tilted her head up and kissed the Avatar’s cheek, then sighed contentedly as she felt a muscular arm drape over her shoulder.

They stayed like that for a while, watching the fire slowly die out. Finally, Asami stood and cracked her knuckles. “Alright Korra, time to get to work. I’ll clean up the fire, you go pack up the rest of our gear. With any luck, we’ll reach the Republic City portal by this evening.”

Korra rose and began to roll up their mats, feigning sadness at Asami. “Do we have to go back yet? It’s been so nice being out here, just the two of us.”

Chuckling a little, Asami set down the pail of water she had been carrying and walked up behind Korra, rubbing her shoulders soothingly. “I wholeheartedly agree, but you know how things get. I’ve got to get to work on a new Satomobile design I’ve been thinking about, and my inbox is probably overflowing with mail. Plus, someone’s got to keep the world safe, and luckily I know just the girl for the job.”  
Placing her hand on Asami’s, Korra sighed. “What are we going to tell the others?”

“About?”

“Us.”

“I don’t see as we have anything incredible to tell, really. The Avatar has a girlfriend now. So did the last two at some point, and probably many more before them. It’s not a big deal.” Asami paused. “You’re not worried because we’re both women, are you?”

“No, no, that’s not what worries me. I’m just concerned what this could mean for the team, you know? Will it throw something off with the others when they find out we’re together?”

“I don’t see why it would.” said Asami, sitting next to her girlfriend and putting a hand on her back soothingly. “When Mako and you were together, the team still functioned just fine.” After a moment’s thought, she added,

“Y’know, mostly.”

“I know, just… with everything that’s been changing in our lives the past four years, the last thing I want is to lose all of you more than I did while I was gone.”

Asami turned Korra to face her, then pulled her into a hug. It continued for several minutes before the nonbender pulled away and looked her in the eyes. “Korra, the others care about you a lot. Almost as much as I do.” she added with a smile. “They aren’t going to let something like this get in the way.

The Avatar smiled and hugged Asami again, before returning to her packing. “Thanks Asami. Now let’s get this camp broken before the spirits start to get cranky.” She smirked. “Speaking of cranky, do you think Tenzin’s doing alright without us?”  
* * *

Tenzin was not doing alright. Air Temple Island had survived Kuvira’s invasion mercifully intact, but there was still much work to be done. The airbenders had been asked to help reconstruct Republic City and expand the city outwards, and thus far the work had been exhausting. Every day for the past three weeks had been filled by clearing rubble, repairing critical infrastructure, and combing the ruined districts for lost valuables or resources. From dawn to dusk, Tenzin and the other airbenders had been laboring alongside Republic City forces and even fellow citizens to rebuild the metropolis.

With a little bit of airbending power, Tenzin lifted some collapsed power lines out of his way and moved further into the building he was searching. This would have to be his last one for the day; already the sun was sinking low in the sky. Suddenly, a burst of static came from his hip-mounted radio, and in his tired state he fumbled briefly with the handset before he managed to get it to his mouth. He fiddled with the controls for a moment before the sound improved to something understandable. He immediately recognized the voice of Bumi, who was acting as their communications relay.

“...ora. I repeat. Tenzin, do you read? You have a call coming in from the downtown area. It’s Jinora. I repeat-”

“I hear you Bumi. Put her through.” replied Tenzin, growing tired of his brother’s formality.

A bit more static came through the radio before the airbender heard his daughter’s voice. “Dad? This is Jinora. I’m down by the Spirit Portal, and there’s someone here who I think you’ll want to see.”

Tenzin furrowed his brow and turned towards the exit, lifting the power lines again. “You don’t mean…” he asked his daughter, leaving the question open.

“Yes dad. Korra and Asami are back.”


	2. Between Shadows and Light

Tenzin flew low over the street, looking around him at the devastation; buildings were scarred or blackened from old fires, chunks of the road had been torn up or cracked, abandoned cars, some overturned or damaged, littered the streets. Further above, building towers and upper floors were caved in or simply gone, leaving little trace besides jagged stone. The odd remnant of normal city life still stood; an unscathed news stand, a neatly parked vehicle, a line of intact street lamps. This neighborhood had been hit hard in the fighting, and the rebuilding efforts were only now beginning to reach it. Down a side street, Tenzin saw a crew of metalbenders lifting a destroyed tank from a crater. In a Spirit Wild nearby, a few scattered airbenders were tending to the vines.  


Tenzin sighed as he banked his wingsuit around a building. The process of repairing and expanding Republic City was going to take a long time. He was just thankful it had been nearly empty when Kuvira arrived. The thought of civilians having been in the area when all this destruction occurred almost nauseated him.  


With a quick burst of airbending behind him, Tenzin soared over a collapsed building and into the crater where the new spirit portal lay. The area had been a Wild anyway, so there had been little need to comb the vine-coated ground for collapsed buildings. The wreckage of the Colossus had long since been removed by a trio of cranes, which were now occupied building a walkway to ease access to the portal. The airbender touched down on the top of one of the cranes, scanning the ground below for a moment before spotting his eldest daughter strolling along one of the new walkways. By her side walked Asami and Korra.  
* * *  


“I like what you’ve done with the place.” commented Asami, gesturing at the cranes and walkways. “It has a nice ‘work in progress’ feel to it.”  


The young airbender giggled, then smiled as she saw her father alight on the nearest crane. She cupped her hands to her mouth and called to him, Korra and Asami waving happily. Tenzin leapt off the crane and came to a graceful stop in front of them, smiling broadly at the avatar.  


“Welcome back Korra. And you too Asami. So, you’ve been off adventuring in the Spirit World, have you? Couldn’t you at least have helped us clean up the mess first?”  


Korra’s expression became grim as she looked up at the ruined towers around her. “Speaking of which, how bad is it, Tenzin?”  


The airbender sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s… well, we’re working on it. Some neighborhoods made it through the battle unscathed, others may be beyond repair. Most of the population has returned, and refugee housing has been set up in the outskirts, but the conditions aren’t superb. We’re housing who we can on Air Temple Island as well, and the repair efforts are going fairly quickly.” He shrugged and turned to stare out into the ruined streets. “We have the supplies, and no shortage of willing bodies to help. It’s just going to take a long time.”  


The avatar’s smile returned a little. “Well, that’s better than nothing. Did you guys get the wire we left with Katara when we met with her?”  


Tenzin nodded. “The message was relayed a few times, but mom made sure it got here. Korra, I want you to know I’m very proud of you. Volunteering to go help stabilize the Old Earth Kingdom… it’s very noble of you. And you will have all the support I can give you to do it. I’ll be needed here in the city, but a couple of the other airbenders have already asked to accompany you. Jinora included.” Tenzin beamed at his daughter.  


Korra nodded and approached the airbender, hugging him tightly. “It’s good to be back, Tenzin.”  


“It’s good to have you back, Korra.”  
* * *  


Oogi soared high over the bay, followed closely by Sunshine and Pepper. On the backs of the three bison rode the exhausted airbenders, as well as Korra and Asami. Sitting close together in Pepper’s saddle, the two women looked down at the familiar city’s damaged skyline as they approached Air Temple Island. Sighing, Korra leaned into Asami and silently mourned her battered home.  


Jinora’s voice from up front jolted her back to reality. “So, how’s the lovely couple doing this fine evening?” asked the young airbender, a smug grin on her face.  


“What? Couple? No no no noooooo, just a couple of gal pals back from their big adventure.” said Korra quickly, softly punching her girlfriend’s shoulder. She glanced around briefly, worried someone might have overheard, despite the fact that Kai and Opal were the only other passengers on Pepper’s back.  


“Korra, I can tell you two are closer now; your spirit energy has shifted. You don’t have to hide it. I, for one, think it’s quite romantic.” Jinora said back.  


“Yeah, I agree.” added Kai, grinning. “The Spirit World seems like a great place for a first date. Maybe you should take Bolin sometime, huh Opal?” Opal responded with a soft snore, having fallen asleep almost immediately upon takeoff.  


Jinora giggled at Kai’s comment. “Or maybe I should take you, Kai. I could show you all the sights.”  


Korra interrupted the teens’ back and forth by clearing her throat. “So, um… could you guys keep this on the down low for a while? Especially with the others?”  


Kai grinned mischievously and looked at Jinora, whose expression was a bit more tempered. “Sure Korra, we can keep a secret for you. No problem.”  


The avatar thanked him and went back to looking out at the city briefly, before noticing Asami’s unamused appearance. “What?” muttered Korra.  


Asami turned to face her girlfriend, her expression a mix of caring and frustrated. “We’ll talk later. Right now, we’ve got some hellos to give.” The nonbender motioned at Air Temple Island, where a crowd had gathered to meet the arriving bison.  
* * *  


When Pepper touched down in the Temple courtyard, the first thing Bolin did was run to Asami and Korra and hug them tightly. The second was to gingerly lift Opal in his arms and carry her as carefully as possible to the dormitories. The island was over capacity at the moment, due to taking in some refugees, so Opal was sharing a room with Ikki and Jinora. While the sisters remained downstairs, chatting with the others about the day’s events, Bolin laid Opal on her bed and pulled a blanket over her. He stayed there a few minutes, her hand in his, before he rose to leave. As he slid the door quietly shut, he heard, very faintly, Opal’s soft voice whisper a thanks to him.  


When Bolin reached the mess hall, he found that the others were still trading stories with Korra and Asami. Tenzin had brought in a platter of assorted fruit to feed the group, and Bolin started immediately taking a few items.  


Mako decided to poke a little fun at his brother. “Bolin, why don’t you save some for the rest of us? Some people have been working all day.”  
Bolin rolled his eyes and quipped back “Look who’s talking. At least I went into town today to get groceries. All you’ve done is lay about here. And for your information, half is for Opal. I’m going to save it for when she wakes up.”  


A broad smile lit Asami’s face as she heard the brothers talking nearby. “It’s so nice that you and Opal have managed to work things out. Given the differences you two had while Kuvira was rising to power, I’m impressed.”  


The earthbender blushed slightly and nodded. “Yeah, she’s been really great about that. It’s like it never happened.” He smiled and glanced over at Korra, who was currently busy discussing recent events with Lin Bei Fong. “So, how was the vacation Asami? Heard you made it all the way to the South Pole.”  


Asami laughed a little. “Well, not exactly. Distances are a little more fluid in the Spirit World. We hiked for a long time to reach the portals, but it was nothing compared to what we would have to walk up here. At least the spirits were friendly… Mostly. There was this one Tree Spirit…” The woman’s smile faded and she shuddered a little. “I’m still surprised we made it out of that situation alive. I mean, given the number of leaves that he-”  


Her story was interrupted by Varrick standing up on a table across the room. “If I could have everyone’s attention! I- hey, that means you, baldie!” he said, glaring at a whispering airbender. Composing himself, the billionaire began again. “I just want to make an announcement. I know it’s been awhile since any of us have been able to relax, with the war and the repairs and all. So it’s only fitting that, as Korra and her pals prepare to leave on their peacekeeping mission in a few days, we ought to have a better send off bash than this. Erm- no offense to the hosts of this one.”  


“None taken.” called Pemma from a table nearby.  


“So!” continued the inventor. “Zhu Li and I would like to formally invite all of you to a gala on our yacht, two days from now to say farewell! Bring a friend if you like. And there’ll be cake!”  


With that, Varrick leapt off the table, grabbed his wife’s hand, and dashed out the door and down to a waiting speedboat at the dock.  
* * *  


Asami was fascinated by the lights of Republic City. She had always enjoyed watching the city’s glow at night, but there was something strangely beautiful about it in its injured form. Like a massive machine, with some parts functioning and others broken down. Pockets of darkness marked areas still under repair, and the downtown island was a great sea of darkened towers and ruined walls, with scattered lights breaking up the shadow where night-shift crews were still working. If she squinted just right, she could make out the radio spire of Future Industries Tower, its metal girders twisted and melted.  


Footsteps approached in the hall behind her. Turning from the window, Asami breathed out slightly and watched as Korra slid the door to her dormitory open. The Avatar stopped and looked at her for a moment, surprised that she was still up.  


“So, Korra.” Asami began, lacing her fingers together. “Is there… a reason, that, um, you don’t want the gang to know about us dating?”  


Korra sighed and sat on her bed, rubbing the back of her neck. Asami sat in a chair across from her, watching as the Avatar struggled to find the words to say. “Well, Asami, it’s like this. When Mako and I were dating, Team Avatar wasn’t exactly in the best shape.” Her girlfriend started to speak, but Korra kept going. “And yeah, yeah I know we talked about this, and the others will probably be supportive, but… I don’t want to mess anything up. I missed you so much while I was gone, and I never want to go back to that.” Korra hid her face in her hands and groaned. “This is so stupid, I- I’m sorry.”  


“No, no I get it. But Korra, please. I’m sure they won’t have issues with us. And if they do, we’ll get through it. Team Avatar has been through way worse than a new relationship.” Asami walked over and kissed Korra’s head, soothingly rubbing her shoulders. “We’ll be okay.”  


The Avatar stood and hugged her, pressing her face against Asami’s cheek. “Thank you, Asami. I’m overreacting, I know.” she sighed and stepped back, holding her girlfriend’s hand and smiling. “Tell you what, we’ll tell the others tomorrow. We’ll take everyone to breakfast in the City, and we’ll tell them.”  


The older woman beamed and nodded. Lacing her fingers with Korra’s, she leaned in and kissed her softly. A few moments passed before she broke the kiss and squeezed her girlfriend’s hand tightly. “I’d better get back to my own room. But thanks, I’m glad we got this worked out.”  


As Asami slid the door shut, Korra flopped down on her bed and let out a huge sigh, before she began to grin. She was impressed by how well things had been going the past few hours. She was back home in Republic City, she had her friends back, she was in a relationship again, and to top it off, there was a Varrick party in two days. Life was, in general, good.  
* * *  


Far, far away from the light and shadows of Republic City, a man stood in front of a door. It was a simple, dark door, and on the other side, he knew, was a simple, dark room. He had been in it exactly 38 times in his entire life. Tonight he would enter it again. He was not sure what he would find, but there were some statistically relevant possibilities. He deeply hoped to avoid a few of them.  


As the door swung noiselessly shut behind him, he raised one eyebrow very slightly. The sight before him had not been one of the relevant possibilities. As there always had been, a single ceiling lamp was casting a dim yellow circle on the center of the room. But today, in the exact center was a piece of paper, folded into a small square. He glanced around, but -as always- he could make out nothing in the room beyond the golden circle. All he could see was the light.  


The man took a few steps towards it to pick it up, when the softest sound made him freeze. It came from the darkness beyond the circle; a sigh. The man immediately knelt, bowing his head to look straight down. A faint, calm, male voice spoke from the darkness.  


“Please do not bow to me. We’ve discussed this. Stand. Though, keep your eyes down, please.” The man nodded and stood, careful not to let his vision stray from the piece of paper. The voice continued. “Thank you for arriving punctually, Agent. I presume you have a vague grasp of why you are here?”  


The Agent nodded. He swallowed, trying to avoid his hands shaking. His reasons for being there were not good, and to make it worse, he had only heard that particular voice there once, on his first visit. He could only assume it was important.  


It continued. “In the town where I grew up, there was a saying. ‘Strike a rock three times, and do not be surprised when the fourth shatters it.’ Typical commoner talk, but it serves a purpose. I have been struck by you three times now, and many rocks in my position would likely have shattered already. Perhaps I am too stubborn.” The voice almost laughed, then immediately returned to an emotionless half-whisper. “But I do not have endless patience.”  


A slight breath escaped the Agent’s lips. Irrational fear was not something he was used to; that was part of the reason he’d taken the job in the first place. Yet here he was, in terror. The voice was silent for several seconds, then continued. “That paper is your mission. If you fail it, I will find someone who will not.”  


The Agent nodded, then stooped and picked up the paper. As he unfurled it, he barely caught a photograph that dropped out. As he glanced at it, he saw a figure clad in black, with a mask covering its face. A bow, with nocked arrow, was firmly held, and long black hair spilled out around its head.  


Out of the darkness, two more words gave him his charge. “Find her.”


	3. Agents and Chaos

It was not much to go on. A single photograph. The Agent had analyzed it for a total of three hours and nineteen minutes over the course of the past two days, and had memorized every facet of it. The background was blurry, but was indisputably a warehouse; rows of crates lined towering shelves behind her. It could be useful, except that he knew where the photograph was taken, so discerning the location from background was utterly unnecessary. That left him with only the woman herself to provide useful leads. He spoke aloud, thinking his way through each aspect of the bandit again.

“Her height. Based upon a doorway and a standard Feng Corporation crate in the foreground, she stands between five foot ten and six foot flat; non-distinctive height. Only marginally useful lead. Her hair. Long and unkempt, reaching to her shoulders; straight, clearly black, not dyed. Not a solid lead. Her satchel. Generic, but bearing a Feng Corporation logo; hundreds of stores across the Old Kingdom sold them every day. Not a solid lead. Her goggles. Unmarked and generic; could've been bought anywhere. Not a solid lead. They aren’t totally opaque, and her eyes barely visible; color not discernible. Not a solid lead. Her clothes. Close fitting pants and a basic shirt; color not discernible, style indistinctive- though possibly northern? A flimsy lead. Her weapon. Standard bow; could've been bought in myriad cities or even made personally. Not a solid lead. Ammunition; fourteen inch arrow shaft, likely bronze tipped, basic fletching. Bronze tips required special permit to sell in the Empire, but deregulation has been swift following Kuvira’s fall. In short- not a solid lead.”

The Agent sighed and leaned back, staring up at the canvas roof of his truck. He’d pulled over at sunset and was lying flat on his cot in the back. This photograph was unhelpful. He felt around on a crate nearby, finally grasping the piece of paper he had received alongside the photo. Printed on it were five sentences. He had read them 74 times since being given their paper and the photo, and they were his only substantial lead.

Aloud, he repeated the words. “Invader struck at midnight. Lan City Dockyard, Building Nine. No casualties. Five pounds of explosives stolen. She has been designated ‘Catalyst’.” This was the fourth crime committed by Catalyst, and it matched her MO perfectly; an attack at midnight, with no casualties, and a clearly anti-government message. What troubled The Agent was the disparity of her crimes; she didn't seem to have a unified plan of any sort, just individual, practically arbitrary strikes. Again, he spoke aloud when he recalled the woman’s past three escapades.

“Thirty two days ago, copper smeltery in the western mountains. Two coils of copper wire stolen and all furnaces rendered inoperable due to lost ignition primers. Nineteen days ago, a mint in the Lan City outskirts. Six books of money printing records- almost two months worth of vital financial information- later found burned in the street. Eleven days ago, a military checkpoint along the eastern road. At the sunrise guard change, all eight tanks on assignment there were found missing their electrics- and filled to the brim with water. All but two were beyond repair and had been scrapped.” The Agent sighed softly, closing his eyes. “Three days ago, Lan City. The explosives stolen were enough to do severe damage.” He paused, working over a thought. “Explosives were in building nine. No public access. How did she know they were there? A possible lead.”

The agent stood and stretched, walking to the back of his truck. Through the open doors, the moon was beginning to rise beyond the distant peaks. He drummed his fingers on the tailgate, wondering what his next move ought to be. By late morning he would reach Lan. He’d stop by the crime scene before making contact with a psychiatrist he knew in town to get a second opinion on the mental profile he’d been assembling for the woman- backgrounds, possible motives, hints at supporters. But after that, he knew not what to do. Perhaps he could follow up on the explosives lead. He sighed once more, before returning to his bed. He'd need a few hours sleep to prepare him for the day ahead.

* * *

Opal was a bit of a connoisseur when it came to food. Her parents’ pirate-turned-chef had ensured that from a young age she had a great appreciation for fantastic cuisines. So she had a lot of experience to draw upon when she decided that the breakfast cakes at Cafe Zhola were horrible. They tasted as if the chef had personally dipped every one of them in the ocean, before pouring dirt and pentapod slime on them, burning them, and haphazardly thrusting them upon innocent customers. Thus, her feelings of confusion, admiration, and a little revulsion at seeing Bolin eat nine of them were justified.

They were only a few of the occupants; the cafe was packed with people. Opal could see a squad of haggard metalbenders who looked like they just came off the night shift. Near them was an old couple, trying to have a calm breakfast, an unlikely occurrence in the crowded booths. In one corner sat the waterbender who’d played in the band at Varricks’s wedding- apparently he was some sports star turned charity operator. He was talking earnestly with a disheveled woman and helping get her food. The doorbell chimed and a young, distinguished woman in a blue coat and hat walked in and asked for a takeout order. From her vantage point, Opal could just hear her mention setting out on a voyage soon.

‘That makes two of us’ she thought, turning her attention back to her own rounded booth. To her left sat Bolin, then his brother, Asami, and Korra. On Opal’s right were Jinora, Ikki, Tenzin, Pemma, Varrick, and Zhu Li. Korra had invited them all to the cafe, but had been almost totally silent. So far, the conversation had mostly been about the rebuilding, with the occasional comment from Varrick about how slow it was going.

Opal took a sip of her juice, listening to Zhu Li discuss transportation infrastructure with Asami. She glanced at the avatar, who was clearly uncomfortable. ‘Whatever her news is,’ thought Opal, ‘it's important to her. Maybe I should bring it up?’ The airbender waited for a lull in conversation, watching the cafe. An employee poured hot tea for a bearded man in street clothes. The woman in blue got her takeout and left. Opal reached over and took Bolin’s hand under the table, squeezing it lightly. He reciprocated. Zhu Li finished a point about power line efficiency, and a silence fell over the booth. Opal waited a moment before opening her mouth, but Korra beat her to it.

“So, um,” the avatar began, her speech a little broken. “I mentioned to all of you that I had news. Don't worry, it's not world-ending evildoers on the rise, or anything like that. It's a bit more… Personal.” She threw the briefest glance towards Mako, as if she wanted to gauge his reaction. “Umm… I just figured you all deserved to know that I-”

Korra was cut off suddenly as a tremendous crash shook the room. All across the diner, patrons stumbled and chairs upturned. The front windows shattered inward, thankfully not showering anyone in shards of glass. It lasted maybe two seconds, but by the time it was over, they were all on their feet and running for the door. Ikki reached the exit first and looked around quickly, spotting the source of the blast with ease.

“Guys guys guys! Something blew up the building next door!” She yelled, pointing at a five-story structure just a few feet away. Sure enough, black smoke was billowing out a fresh hole in the fourth floor, and rubble was strewn across the street below. Fires were beginning to spread, and several satomobiles had narrowly avoided being crushed by the debris.

Before a word was spoken amongst them, the whole group was already rushing to help. Mako and Korra quickly began putting out the flames, while Bolin lifted rubble from the sidewalk. Asami and Pemma pushed an upturned stall away from the main door to free the people trapped within the shop, while Zhu Li began helping clear the smaller debris from the road. Opal moved to help her, stopping short when she heard Tenzin.

“Kids, come on! We must see if anyone on the upper floors need help.” Followed by his daughters, he began leaping deftly up towards the blast site, making use of awnings and ledges. Figuring she was more help up there, Opal followed. By the time she reached a window ledge on the third floor, the other airbenders had disappeared inside the fourth. Before she jumped up to join them, something caught her eye below.

Between the bombed building and Cafe Zhola was a narrow alley, barely wide enough for two cars to pass. A truck sat idling by a back door of the attacked building, with two men leaned against the cab. From her vantage point she couldn't make out anything about their faces, but the airbender’s interest was already piqued; what were they doing there so soon after such an attack? The two were talking back and forth, but Opal was too high to hear anything more than a soft murmur. Opal glanced around. Tenzin, Jinora, and Ikki were already well within the fourth floor, and the others were too busy fighting the blaze to notice the vehicle.

Dropping quietly to a second floor fire escape, she began to catch bits of the bigger man talking. His voice was low and gravelly, but sounded more concerned than angry. “... better hurry up. I'm not sure how much longer we can stay before people begin to wonder why-” He was cut off when a nearby door on the bombed building hurled open and a third figure sprinted out. It was clad totally in black, with a simple, smooth black mask covering its face. A hood was up over its head, and across its back rested a small backpack. It looked slimmer and shorter than the others, but had a commanding air about it. The figure ran up to the truck and gestured wildly to the far exit of the alley. Approaching the car’s passenger side window, the masked figure slung the bag off its back and tossed it to the short man, then twirled a finger in the air in a circle. The engine shifted into gear and the wheels screeched as the truck roared off towards the main road, away from Opal.

The masked figure watched them go, then stretched an arm and bounced on the balls of its feet, as if getting out excess energy. It turned around, scanning the alley, then lifted its gaze upward, looking at the rooftops. Opal scrambled backwards to try and hide, but before she could, the figure saw her. For a brief second, her eyes met the black glass mask. Then the intruder was gone in a flash of black, sprinting for the far end of the alley.

“Hey!” yelled Opal, grabbing the railing and wondering what exactly to do. Should she chase the figure? Go get help? She knew she had to be fast; every second was more yards of headway the stranger gained. But she didn't even have her wingsuit; she’d decided to wear a simple yellow and red shirt and pants, in the style of the air acolytes. She shuffled around briefly, when an idea struck her.

Opal took a step back and breathed out. This would be very difficult, and she risked a multi-story drop and serious injury if she failed. Shaking her head, she inhaled and ran forward. A simple jump planted her left foot on the railing, and with a gust of airbending power to help, she hurled herself forward and towards the wall at an angle. She focused on a narrow window ledge, directing the winds slightly to correct her aim. As soon as her foot hit the stone, she pushed her arms downward and let loose with a burst of wind, planting her other foot on the brick wall. Going much faster than she would have liked, she ran along the wall, the upward force of the wind keeping her from plummeting to the ground.

The airbender was fast gaining on her foe. The black-clad figure had raced up a fire escape across the alley, already on the first story. Opal watched the figure’s movements carefully before returning her gaze forward. Ahead of her lay a clothesline, and a large sheet flapped in the breeze she was making. Her mind raced as she planned her next move. The streams of air keeping her aloft faded as she leapt forward, grabbing the sheet by the corners to use as a parachute. Her gliding descent was not graceful, and was not slow, but with the help of some frantic airbending she managed to land relatively gently on the second landing of the fire escape.

Opal adopted a defensive stance as the figure reached her floor, preparing to fight but hoping not to have to. She said, panting, “Please, stop running. We can work this-”

Almost faster than she could react, a hand shot forward and caught her with a forceful blow to the stomach. The airbender staggered back, nearly hitting the railing, but managed to counter the next strike and airbend a kick at her opponent’s legs. Her foe was thrown off balance, allowing her to press the advantage. With a series of quick strikes, she managed to force her assailant onto the fire escape floor and pin its arms down.

Opal stared into the opaque black mask, its smooth plate concealing the whole face. “Who,” she panted, raising a hand to the attacker’s face, trying to remove the mask. “Who are you?”

“Opal?” Bolin’s voice called from down the alley. It was all the distraction her opponent needed. As Opal instinctively turned at the sound, she felt the masked stranger buck under her, throwing her off balance. She desperately grabbed at the figure, managing to get a hold of its hood as it rolled backwards, and she felt the cloth tear in her hands. Opal stumbled forward slightly, grasping at the figure, when a foot connected squarely with her cheek. She reeled backwards, grabbing ahold of the railing to steady herself.

Black hair spilled out as the figure stood, half looking back at the defeated Opal. A low female voice came from behind the off-kilter mask. “We are on the same side, airbender. You’ll come around.” And the masked woman hurled herself from the fire escape, grabbing a clothesline and sliding away towards the main road.

* * *

Asami was racing up the steps three at a time, grumbling softly to herself. Why did someone have to go and get bombed right when Korra was breaking the big news. Literally four words later and it would be dealt with. This was as bad as the timing in some of Varrick’s romantic movers.

Reaching the fourth floor of the building, Asami opened the stairwell door and was greeted by a blast of smoky wind. She coughed and stumbled through, to find an apologetic Ikki.

“Sorry Asami! I didn't know you were there!” The young airbender yelped. Behind her, a hallway stretched about half the building’s length before suddenly opening to a large, jagged hole. The furthest of the three apartments was gone, and its neighbor was severely damaged and charred. A haze of dust lingered in the air, and Ikki’s father and sister were moving through it at the end of the hall.

The nonbender knelt and patted Ikki’s shoulder. “It’s fine Ikki, no harm done. How are things looking up here?”

“Well, we’re pretty sure nobody was seriously hurt. That guy,’ she pointed to a balding man sitting on an overturned table nearby, getting his arm tended to by a young woman in a blue coat and hat. “Probably has a sprained wrist from falling. But otherwise it’s good!”

The woman in blue rose, dusted her hands off on her long coat, and glanced at the nonbender. “Morning miss.” She said cordially, tipping her hat and straightening her back with such precision that Asami was sure she was military. The woman picked up a satchel by her feet and stepped past Asami into the stairwell.

“Wait,” said Asami, turning after her. “Who are you?”

The woman glanced back and replied with a slight smirk. “Concerned bystander. Name’s Genza. I’ll be seeing you, miss Sato.” And she hurried off down the stairs.

* * *

The day after the bombing, Ikki felt pretty great. She’d helped save a life yesterday, after all. Plus, there was a party that evening! What more could you ask for in life?

“Hey, Ikki!” Jinora called from down the street. “We need some help lifting this stuff!” And Ikki’s good mood was gone. It happened a lot.

Ikki glided down to her sister, who was helping Kai generate enough wind to lift some debris from the road. The younger airbender joined in, and soon the street was clear enough to be driven on. The three kids took a moment to catch their breath and admire their work. Thanks to the other airbenders and a team of metalbenders, this entire neighborhood was in good enough shape citizens could start coming back. It was a small victory, but they were making progress.

Kai stood and stretched. “Well, it’s almost three. The party starts at six. Can we just call it good here?” He grinned.

“No,” a voice said suddenly behind him. “You can't.” Kai whirled around and found himself facing the avatar. Korra continued, “We’ve all got to keep working. I still feel bad about going to this party when there’s still citizens living in tents, displaced from their own homes. So we keep working as long as we can before we stop, for their sake.”

The airbenders nodded grimly before returning to their work. Korra smiled and added “But that doesn’t mean the party won't be epic tonight.” At that the kids laughed, and the avatar launched herself into the air. Arcing high over the rooftops, she used some airbending power to propel herself onto a radio tower and look around at the neighborhood, admiring the work of her and her companions.

A few buildings over, she could see a power relay station with a group of metalbenders standing within the fenced courtyard. A dark-haired woman stood with them. Korra smiled, preparing to go over, then paused, feeling herself blush slightly. She couldn’t help but marvel at how amazing Asami was. She was really looking forward to the party; she’d finally tell everyone. Korra grinned as she launched into the air, swooping low and gently landing within the power station, stowing her glider and strolling up next to Asami.

“So what's all this?” she asked, smiling as the older woman turned. The expression on Asami’s face was one of consternation, but it seemed to partially melt away after a moment of looking at Korra.

“Once we get this relay working again, we’ll have full power to this whole neighborhood. And with the progress you and the Airbenders have been making, people can start to move back in in greater numbers.” She smiled, sighed, and looked out over the area. “I’m glad I can help this city out. I've always felt like I owe it something, you know?”

Korra laughed a little. “Are you kidding? You've done more for Republic City than anyone else, besides maybe Aang. And he founded the place, so he doesn't count. If anything, the city owes you.”

“All I've done has only been possible because of places like this. People like this. I may own Future Industries, but it only works because of them. I owe it to them to do whatever I can to help in return.”

The Avatar smiled and hugged Asami tightly. “See, it's things like that that make me happy I have such a fantastic girlfriend.”

Asami snorted. “Fantastic? My girlfriend’s the Avatar. Get on my level.” Still, Korra could see her blushing as they returned to helping the metalbender crew work.

* * *

The Agent had thought he was above such things, but Catalyst was really beginning to annoy him. He had briefly, absentmindedly tried to remember the last time something had annoyed him, but now he had more important things to think about. He was sitting on a robust branch, halfway up the large pine tree that looked over building nine of the Lan City Dockyard, fiddling with a pen and paper and thinking.

His contact, the psychologist, had pretty much confirmed his suspicions about the rebel. The Agent had written down her information, and now read it aloud for the 19th time. “Knowns about the Catalyst- Anti-government crimes suggest displeasure with Banhui, the current leader of Bogao. Disparity and severity of crimes implies at least modest knowledge of governmental structure; she understood which financial books to take. Sabotage of copper refinery and tanks implies enough mechanical knowledge to understand them. Or maybe… Maybe help.”

He sat forward slightly in the tree, mulling that last thought over. “Hypothesis- Catalyst has allies. Enables far more diversity of operational objectives, especially if allied with a bender. Potentially even financial backer? Possible explanation for seemingly extensive training, as well as insider knowledge of building nine. Could all be an elaborate corporate espionage scheme. Remember to look into shipping companies in the area for a funder.”

The Agent nodded, content with his thoughts for the time being. He descended the tree, walked further from the docks, and entered his truck. He was about to leave when he heard his portable radio spooling up. Quickly putting on the headset and tuning the frequency, he began to hear a voice. He had heard it three times before- male, higher than average, very slight lisp. The man on the other end was giving him directions.

“... Repeating. Agent, there has been a bombing in Republic City. No casualties, relatively minimal damage. Reports indicate that your query might have been involved. Mysterious woman matching her description fled the crime scene, and was seen rendezvousing with a truck traveling East out of town. Based upon fuel projections, it's extremely unlikely she isn't in Bogao. Move to locate her at your discretion. Watchpost out.”

The Agent was already making for the highway. This attack made little sense; it didn't fit her MO, it happened in daylight hours, on foreign soil, and she had help. But all that was irrelevant. This time, the Agent would find her. No matter the cost.

* * *

Asami was extremely ready for this party. She truly loved working to rebuild the city, and she was really excited to be going off on another adventure with all the gang again, but she was even more delighted to get one blessed night off.

Word had spread throughout the population that there was a party going on in the harbor, and it seemed as if everyone was taking that as a sign to throw their own. From modest get togethers in repaired apartments, to a full-blown gala in one of the mansions near the outskirts, the entire town was taking it easy and relaxing with friends, family, and sometimes just anyone who was nearby. As she stood at the back of the ferry to Varrick’s yacht, Asami could see many new patches of light across the city, and the sounds of laughter and singing drifted lazily over the water.

Opal was at the rail with her. How long they stood in silence, almost unaware of each other, Asami didn't know. But after a while, the younger woman spoke. “How are we going to travel tomorrow?” Asami glanced over, slightly surprised she wasn't alone, then smiled. “By air, of course. Is there any other way?” At Opal’s soft laugh, she continued. “I've already got a few people getting out and stocking up the airship we used back in the day, before the war. She hasn't flown in two years, so I'm going to give her engine the once-over myself after the party.”

“Oh! Okay, that's really neat.” Opal trailed off, like she was making small talk, and debating asking something more profound. A moment later, she did. “Is Korra dating Mako again? Sorry to intrude on your personal lives, but yesterday at the cafe it seemed like she was gauging his reaction to stuff a lot, so I was wondering…”

Asami couldn't help but giggle softly. “No, no not at all. Korra’s not dating Mako. She's already spoken for.”

“By who?” Opal asked, smiling a little and leaning in, as if hearing a life-changing secret.

The Nonbender turned around. “Oh, would you look at that, we’re mooring alongside Varrick’s already. Gotta go, there's partying to be done.”

And she hurried off, still laughing a little.

  
* * *

Zhu Li was proud of how the party had turned out. Varrick hadn't planned this in advance, he'd just said it the other evening and then decided to make it happen. So considering how little time they actually had to prepare, it was a well-received bash. The guests arrived in ferries, a dozen or so at a time, and milled about about on the top deck for a while before heading below to dine. Among the guests were, of course, the Avatar and her crew, as well as many of the airbenders and other citizens who’d been in the dining hall when Varrick set this all up. Zhu Li also saw a few other industrial magnates, probably looking to work a deal with Varrick amidst the merriment. Beyond them, most of the crowd were people the woman didn't recognize; here a waterbender did tricks with his punch, there a young man in military attire flirted with an earthbender woman. Near the bow, a woman in a blue jacket stood talking with an airbender. Not far away, some firebenders were putting on an impromptu fireworks show. In short, the deck was in barely controlled chaos, which pretty well fit the party itself.

“You know, traditionally the hostess is supposed to enjoy herself too?” She smiled and turned at the voice, her husband standing in the doorway to the superstructure behind her.

“Just making sure it's all going smoothly. The enjoyment comes later; I don't think I've ever shown you my home-cooked crab kebabs. I helped the chefs make quite a few, and I'm sure they'll be a hit. They go really well with this papaya juice I bought. And…” She sighed, feeling herself blush slightly. “And I'm talking about working again.” At his playful nod, she turned back to the crowd, speaking over her shoulder. “Well then, let's go enjoy ourselves. Take me dancing, Varrick.”

  
* * *

Several hours had passed and the party was winding down. The top deck was strewn with used firecrackers and the occasional abandoned glass or napkin. A few people remained, but most of them had boarded the ferry back to shore. Jinora and Kai were on deck doodling spirits in the latter’s notebook by the light of the superstructure, while Pemma and Tenzin were relaxing in the sauna in the aft section.

On the yacht’s second deck, in the elaborate dining room, only one small table hadn’t been cleared. Around it sat Korra, Asami, Mako, Bolin, Varrick, Zhu Li, and Opal. Ikki was laid out on a bench nearby, listening to the conversation. It carried on for quite a while about this topic or that person, before a lull formed. Korra, not without a feeling of déjà vu, began to speak.

“So, with what happened yesterday morning I didn't get to finish what I gathered everyone to say.” Everyone leaned in a little, excited to finally hear her reveal. “In a global sense, it isn’t that big. It's no threat or a war or anything, but… It's very important to me.” She smiled, and glanced at Asami for reassurance. The Nonbender nodded at her and smiled, before Korra finished. “Me and Asami are dating.”

Asami squeezed Korra’s hand and nodded, a chorus of assorted responses meeting them; a “I knew it!” From Opal, “Congratulations ladies” from Bolin, and a kebab-muffled “Took you long enough” from Varrick. The only one displeased seemed to be Ikki.

“That's it? I thought you were going to tell us something huge!”

“Being with someone you care about, and who cares about you, is huge Ikki. You'll learn that someday.” Bolin said, and several others assented.

Asami began to speak now. “We were a little hesitant to tell you guys, because we were worried doing so might throw off something in the group.”

“You don't have to worry about that. We’re your friends; we’ll always be here for you. No matter what.” Mako said, smiling.

Korra received a quick expression and smirk from her girlfriend, seeming to say “see?” before the Nonbender stood. “Well everyone, it's late. But how about one last dance before we go?”

The others agreed. Zhu Li motioned at the band, who had been packing up, and they quickly resumed their stances, hopping into a lively swing tune. Bolin gallantly gave Opal a hand getting up, and the two of them were fast in getting into a rhythm and dancing. Zhu Li did the same for Varrick, eliciting a giggle from her and a smirk from him, before he suddenly leapt up and twirled his wife around, dipping the surprised woman, who burst out laughing. Mako stood awkwardly, seemingly not quite sure what to do, sending a pang of sorrow into Korra. Which quickly dissolved, of course, when Ikki swooped in and began teaching him a basic step. Korra smiled and laughed a little before returning her gaze to Asami.

“We have got to find that guy a girlfriend.” She said as the two of them began to dance to the jazzy tune.

“Agreed.” Asami smiled, before focusing entirely on her movement. She wasn't particularly good, but she was quite a bit better than the avatar, so she occasionally gave out a pointer or two. After almost ten minutes, her partner, breathless and laughing, flopped onto the bench where Ikki had been. Asami sat by her side, and they continued to watch their friends dance.

A few moments later, Asami sighed. “Tomorrow it's back to reality, huh?”

Korra was a few seconds in answering. “No… I think tomorrow it's back to work. This is just as much our reality as is hunting down terrorists, fighting dark spirits, or trying to pacify warlords. This is the life we lead, Asami. And honestly, I'm not sure I could ask for more.” She draped a muscular arm around the Nonbender, then leaned her head on the woman’s shoulder. A few moments passed, and the avatar spoke again. “Whatever we get into tomorrow, or the next day, or the next month, or the next year, I know we’ll get through it. Because we have each other,” she motioned slightly to the room. “And we have each other.”

Asami smiled and kissed Korra gently. “That might just be the nicest thing you've ever said.”

  
* * *

A young woman sat in a small shack, hunched over a portable heater. She breathed out a little, watching the cloud of vapor glowing in the electric light of the heater. Winter was coming. The nights were beginning to get colder and longer, but only the former was really a problem. A strand of dark brown hair fell into her face and she brushed it aside. A haircut. She mentally added that to the ever-growing list of things she really needed the next time they had any money to spare. It had been months since the last time she cut it, and her normal bob cut was like a distant memory.

The woman had lost track of how long she’d waited in silence, before suddenly a specific sequence of knocks came at the door. The woman hurried over and opened it, stepping aside as a taller figure entered. She was clad in a dark jacket, with the hood torn off, and a black mask concealing her face. Her voice was urgent and a little gruff, but not unkind.

“Pack up. We've got to move. Ru and Guo are in the truck.” She began to remove the mask from her face as her shorter companion stared.

“Jin, your hood! Did anyone see your hair? They could identify you that way!”

Jin removed her mask and made a face, stretching and blinking a few times, unused to the cold air. Then, she chuckled softly, looking over as her partner hastily repacked her small duffle. The taller woman unplugged the heater and wound the cord up, hefting the warm object onto her back. “My hair’s the least of our worries, Fa. I got pretty cozy with that airbender girl from Zhaofu, Beifong. Spoke to her too.”

Fa froze. “You did what? If she heard your voice you could be-”

Jin waved the protest away. “I said about ten words, and I lowered my voice. It'll be fine. She saw me leaving the building and gave chase, so I had to fight her. Hit her pretty hard, and…” Jin’s expression turned sheepish. “I felt bad. Seems like a real sweet gal, from what I saw of her during the Unification. I think she’d side with us, if she understood all that's really going on in Bogao. Ready?”

Fa nodded her agreement, and Jin led her from the shack, down the dark street. All was still in the small town, but they could both hear the soft sound of a recently-hot engine plinking in the frosty air. After a few moments, Fa asked, in a hushed tone, “I'm not sure even I understand all that's going on here. Why exactly did we bomb the Republic? We’re fugitives in two countries now.”

“No, Fa, we’re not. Our style for that was totally different- violent, destructive, obvious, no finesse. Not traceable to a stealthy, plucky band of outlaws like us. Hopefully they've found the papers I “dropped” by now. With any luck, we’ve just set the Republic at odds with Bogao’s government- and given ourselves a PR boost in the process. And what's rule number one of guerrilla revolutions, my dear Fa?” Jin glanced at her with a grin visible even in the shadowed night.

Fa felt a similar smile growing on her freckled face as they turned a corner, approaching a truck which growled to life “How the public sees you is more important than what you actually do.”

“Exactly. Now come on. We just kicked a buzzard-wasp nest; time to face the queen.”


	4. Crossing Paths

Ikki lightly drummed her left hand's fingers against her opposite forearm, slowly rolling over and adjusting her right-handed grip on the rope. She looked over her shoulder, grinning a bit as the sunlight beautifully lit the distant mountains. The airship had passed over that ridge almost immediately after leaving the city an hour ago, and ever since the ground below had been sparse and rocky.

Her gaze returned forward, to the airship she trailed behind. The sleek, elegant lines, white plating, and soaring windows all gave the vessel the elaborate opulence of a mansion, not a ship. She cut through the chill morning air like a knife, flying with quiet, elegant grace. Ikki hadn’t seen as much of the ship back before the war as her family, especially Jinora, so she was still awed by it all. From what little she remembered of Asami’s tour that morning, the ship was a “Future Industries Koi-Class luxury airyacht”. Only two were ever built- a smaller prototype that was designed to test the engines, and this one, Asami’s personal vessel. It ran on a system of compressed helium and propellers directed-

With a start, Ikki grabbed at the rope with both hands -she had nearly slipped. Her focus, and airbending, thus interrupted, she swung down quickly in an arc and rammed into the back of the ship. She winced and exhaled slowly, muttering aloud. “Okay. Focus Ikki.”

Sure, there were probably easier ways to build her concentration than this, but this one worked. She had attached a rope to the back of the ship, and was trying to use airbending to keep herself roughly horizontal as she trailed, hanging onto said rope. She'd run into the ship five times, and fallen off the rope twice, all in the span of an hour. This last failure was just the straw that broke the camel-snake’s back. Sighing, she climbed the rope and got back aboard.

Maybe she wasn't cut out for this. When she was younger, her master-level arrow tattoos had seemed like a distant dream, something that would happen eventually, when she was thirty or so. But seeing Jinora get hers had made the tattoos real, attainable. Ikki wanted them too- soon. She’d spent the last three years coming up with increasingly more convoluted plots to get hers, and after the most recent had ended in a tree smashing through the roof of her bedroom, her father had suggested she work on focus. At this rate, thirty years old was still seeming an accurate prediction for her tattoos.

Flopping onto her back, Ikki stared at one of the rotors, feeling dejected. As she watched it, she thought about it- spinning. Endlessly spinning. It provided enough downward force, when combined with others like it, to lift the entire ship. It was almost like airbending. Every motion sent out a wave of air, spiraling and whooshing, down until it dissolved into the currents and breezes of the valley below.

“I wonder if I…?” Ikki mused aloud, hopping to her feet and getting into a comfortable stance. She raised her arms out horizontally and began to spin, feeling air part to make way for her spread fingers. As she increased speed, she heard a very soft sound, presumably her own wind, and felt herself lift, ever so slightly, off of the deck. Pointing her foot, she let the tip of one soft shoe touch the planks, and with that added stability, she lowered her arms, fighting against centrifugal force. Doing so resulted in a large whoosh of air, which propelled her almost a dozen feet into the sky, spinning faster than a top. As she launched, she giggled involuntarily- and heard the sound of that laugh all around her.

Ikki landed and slowly spun down, thinking it over. As she untied her rope and waited a moment for the dizziness to pass, ideas flowed like a whirlwind in her head, and a grin flowed like water over her face. Ikki had a plan.

* * *

Mako was already in the bridge when the others arrived. ‘Bridge’ was a bit of an understatement, though; it was a room fifty feet long and about twenty wide, with graceful curves and flowing lines, as well as the helm on a raised foredeck. Asami had redecorated since they used this ship to search for airbenders; in lieu of a conference area, there were soft chairs and couches set out in a lavish lounge. A bulkhead nearby had a map of the Old Earth Kingdom, already dotted with a few small pins.

It was this map Mako was studying while Korra, Asami, Jinora, Bolin, Opal, and Kai trickled in. As they took seats and began to relax for the first time since liftoff, Mako leaned against the table and voiced his question. “So, where are we going first?”

Asami replied. “We have a half-day stop in the Funchu province -they’re loyalist, we’re just there for Korra to give a speech and shake hands with dignitaries- before we land in Bogao. That stop will take longer; Bogao’s one of the imperial holdouts, under a general named Banhui. We’re planning to hit up Zhaofu as well, to help with their negotiations, but from there we don't really have a set itinerary. Director Wu has requested we stop in New Ba Sing Se to say hello, and he mentioned a couple more warlord states over there that he’d be grateful if we could speak to.”

A quick smirk crossed Mako’s face. As much as he didn’t like his time working for Wu, he had to admit it would be nice to see the little idiot again. He raised his next question. “And, how many of these warlords are going to be okay with us turning up out of the blue?”

“That, I can't tell you.” Asami replied, glancing around at the nervous expressions. “I read every word of the files Wu and Raiko gave us, but nobody seems to be sure exactly how dangerous these little dictatorships are.

There's just not enough data, especially on provinces like Bogao, or Omashu, considering how far they are from the capital. I think they’ll be smart enough to avoid making an enemy of the most powerful woman in the world,” she gestured at her girlfriend, smiling. “But that’s just my guess. For all we know, we might be under fire from the moment we hit Bogao’s airspace.”

“That’s just great,” muttered Kai, half joking and half serious. “Glad I signed up to come on this one.” It was Korra who responded, with a small grin. “Nobody said it would be easy, Kai. We're trying to rebuild a country with almost a hundred million citizens. It's going to be a long road, but we’ll manage.” The rest of the crew nodded assent. At that moment, Ikki strolled onto the bridge. “Hey guys. What'd I miss?”

* * *

Guo snored really, really loudly. It was beginning to irritate Fa. Normally, she would have relied on Jin to take care of it -team disputes were always her stated purview- but her older friend was out in the darkened woods, looking for a small cache of supplies she’d hid two weeks prior. Fa had tried to insist on going along, but she, Ru, and Guo were all dead tired from previous ops, so Jin had gone alone. Jin was always keeping an eye out for them.

Fa glanced around quickly, picked up an empty tin can from the folding table nearby, and tossed it at the snoring earthbender. It bounced harmlessly off his bulky chest, barely causing a moment’s pause in his rapturous snoring.

“What was that for?” Ru’s slightly nasal voice muttered from next to Fa. He was busily tinkering expertly with a small mechanical device, twisting screws and affixing wires. He stifled a yawn, then seamlessly continued with his deft work. Fa watched his hands for a moment, almost spellbound, before she responded.

“He's snoring. Isn't it driving you crazy?”

Ru glanced up briefly, pushed his thin glasses higher on his nose, then returned to work, smiling a little. “Nah, barely even noticed. Stuff like that doesn't bother me. Some time in combat gets you used to noise. I once jury-rigged a detonator in the middle of an armored division battle. That was loud.”

The young woman snorted a little as she leaned forward, placing her chin in her hands. “I'll leave the heroics to you. I'm not a soldier. I work a radio.”

“I’m not a soldier either. Just an electrician who wanted to help people.”

Without opening his eyes, and with a surprising clarity for a man they'd thought was slumbering, Guo called from his cot, “Would you two shut up? A man needs his sleep.” And after a mere two or three seconds, his snoring resumed.

Fa rolled her eyes, while Ru just chuckled. She admired his patience. Nothing seemed to phase the bespectacled man much. It was hard to recall a situation he hadn't responded to with humor, or at least bemusement. He had joined the team when Jin and Fa were laying low in Zhaofu -Bogao shared a border with the metalbender state- almost a month and a half ago, in the hopes of freeing his home from Banhui. Everyone wanted freedom from her, but it was rare to find someone willing to stand up to the dictator’s reign. Ru was a useful ally, and was quickly proving to be a good man.

Guo was less so. He didn't talk much, but when he did it was usually derision. He openly disliked Jin and Fa -although he claimed to “tolerate” Ru- and spent much of his time critiquing their actions. But when it came down to it, they needed him and he needed them. He was a skilled earthbender, though by no means exceptional, and his powers were welcome amongst the nonbending trio that were his teammates.

The first rays of moonlight drifted in through the canvas-topped truck’s back. Fa moved with a yawn over to sit next to the tailgate, looking out at the twilit mountains. She scanned the horizon until she spotted it- a distinctive peak, far in the distance, that marked the border of Bogao. Even from their current hideout in Funchu, home was calling to them. Bogao was a beautiful province, and more importantly, it was her home. She was glad she and Jin were doing something to help it. She yawned again. As soon as Jin returned safely, Fa would definitely need to get some sleep.

Her revelry was shattered when an alto scream echoed through the dark woods, scattering some birds and launching all three of the truck’s occupants to their feet.

Guo stepped abreast of Fa, without a hint of sleep about him, his gruff voice concerned. “Was that-”

“Jin.” Fa had already vaulted from the truck and was sprinting into the woods. A moment later, two sets of rushed footsteps were by her side. When they had reached a small ridge, where the woods gave way to rough rocks, they stopped and looked around. Ru, panting, turned to Guo.

“Got anything on Tremorsense?”

The earthbender made a noise that, his partners realized later, was in embarrassment. “Don't you think I've thought of that already?” He snapped, looking around for any sign of struggle. “We’ll have to spread out and-”

“No need.” Fa said softly, drawing the two men to her side as she examined the ground. A piece of paper was lying there, pinned down by a rock. The woman picked it up in trembling fingers and read aloud. “I have taken her. In two days, you will meet me at the Frozen Pine at exactly sunset. There, if the three of you surrender all remaining members, equipment, and supplies of your group to me, I will advocate for a graceful punishment for you. If you fail to do this, I will kill her. I await your acquaintance.” The letter slipped from her hand and she looked at her partners. “It was him.”

* * *

Funchu had been fun. Bolin was impressed with their hospitality, not to mention their pastries. Now, two hours out of port, he was lounging in a chair on the top deck of Asami’s ship, smiling up at the midday sun. Opal was by his side, and their hands were loosely joined. A breeze blew by, causing the couple to shiver and scoot a little closer. Opal wrapped an arm around him and rested her head on his chest, eliciting a satisfied grin from the both of them. They had laid like that for perhaps thirty seconds when another breeze flew past, this one forceful enough to send ripples through the cloak Opal was wearing over her wingsuit. After it died down, the two of them shared a knowing sigh.

The third time, it hit them not only with a blast of wind, but a high-pitched whine that set Bolin’s teeth on edge. He sat up, gently displacing Opal, who joined him on his feet a moment later. “Ikki!” called the earthbender. “I love what you're doing, and I'm sure Tenzin’s proud you're training, but do you think you could do it further astern? Ikki folded her arms and walked over, her expression somewhere between pouting and glaring. “I've tried! The rotors back there mess with my pitch.” Bolin glanced at his girlfriend. “Pitch?” Asked Opal, raising an eyebrow.

“Yep! I've decided to take up singing. It helps calm me down while I airbend, so I can focus.” The younger girl grinned, winning a comforting smile from Bolin.

“That's very responsible of you, Ikki. I suppose we can move-” as he spoke, a door on the superstructure opened and Mako appeared.

“Hey bro, we need you two in the radio room. Something’s happening.” He said flatly, glancing apologetically at Ikki. “Just the grown ups, Ikki. Sorry.” The young airbender huffed in slight irritation as her friends disappeared into the sleek white stairwell. She was always getting left out of these special meetings, and it was really beginning to rub her the wrong way. At least it meant more time to work on her project. She hadn’t been entirely truthful with Bolin; yes, she had taken up singing. But not to keep her calm. Ikki was trying to invent a new style of bending, something worthy of arrow tattoos of her own- and maybe even getting to go to the special meetings. The girl giggled as she leaned a small piece of metal against the airship’s rail, to use as a target. Pacing back a few feet to roughly the center of the ship, she took up a stance and began to sing. It wasn’t a particularly special song, just an ancient airbender melody her father had used to sing when she was a young child. She didn’t know the meaning of the words, but for the most part they didn’t matter. This was a proof of concept. “Kham tulani drejo zol, indahna ninta khamotanol…” she softly intoned, listening carefully to how her words mingled with the sounds already filling the air. The melody twisted away from Ikki, gently carried by a breeze, until it was sucked into a propellor. From there, it was scattered into myriad smaller notes and tunes, each nothing but an echo of the whole. These tiny musical fragments journeyed to the reaches of the valley and even beyond, in the same way that a single gust of wind never quite stayed where it was formed. Now came the hard part. Ikki, with some airbending to lift her, began to spin in place, careful to maintain her song. Her words scattered even further, flung to the winds and tempests. She swirled her arms, creating vortices which tore and tossed her tune. After a few moments, she focused intently on her metal target and ceased her spinning, thrusting her arms forward. The winds followed suit, and for just a brief moment, she heard her own song, amplified a dozen times over, whooshing around her. Her cyclone, being relatively weak, spiraled around the heavy plate harmlessly. But an instant after, she heard a loud plink as if a rock had struck her target. Ikki pumped her fists excitedly and ran over. There was a tiny dent in the metal. She hadn’t punched all the way through it, and in battle it probably wouldn’t have done much to an enemy. But for a first real attempt, it was a promising sign.

* * *

The Agent was largely above such concepts as pride. But had he not been, he would have been bursting with it.

Catalyst was tied to the bench in the back of his truck, unconscious. She had been surprisingly easy to track. Her vehicle was poorly hidden on a small path a few miles off the main road, and her team was far from quiet. At first, he had worried it was a trick, an attempt to lure him in, but The Agent had observed the truck for long enough he had determined them to simply be idiots. That being said. he knew he couldn't take all four on in a fight, so he had to wait until one separated from the group. He'd spent the time memorizing the faces of the four, as best he could from his treetop vantage. As luck would have it, it was Catalyst herself who left first. He had followed, concealed, until she was distracted. While she had been rooting through a pile of brush, mumbling about a trap door, he had hit her from behind. She managed to scream, so he had been forced to run before being able to find the trap door she mentioned, but he'd been sure to leave behind the note he'd prepared. Her friends would be sure to find it. From there it was a simple matter of returning stealthily to his own vehicle and making a quiet escape.

The Agent heard a soft groan as his captive stirred. He pulled into a secluded thicket and cut the engine of his truck, sliding into the back to sit across from her. It was time for some answers.

She looked around, dazed and a little afraid. “Who are you?” She asked him, staring with a passion into his dark eyes.

“I am the Agent.”

”That's not a name.”

”I don't need one.”

Her expression grew more rigid in the face of his interrogation. “Alright. Where are we, Agent?”

”At the moment? My truck. Now, my turn for questions. What is your name?”

”Yoor.”

”Oh?” He, of course, knew where this was going.

”Yeah. Yoor Mother” she smirked at him. He allowed himself a hollow grin in return.

”Humor is lost on me. I don't suggest you try that again.” Her smile faded as his ice cold tone washed over her. He paused for a few moments before he posed the same question. “What is your name?”

The rebel suddenly seemed afraid- a little younger, even. “My name is Gani… What are your plans for me, Agent?”

The Agent thought it over. He could see no reason to lie to Catalyst -he highly doubted that Gani was truly her name- so he spoke with candor. “You'll be held here until I receive my orders. Then, you will face justice.”

The bandit scoffed aloud. “Justice? From Banhui? Do you even know what she does to the people of this province?” She leaned as close as her bonds allowed, growling in the Agent’s face. “She had my older brother killed. For daring to say that Kuvira was worse than Queen Hou-Ting. He spoke his mind, and not three hours later he was dragged to the village square and executed.” She slumped back, her anger causing her breath to turn ragged.

“Justice is dead in Bogao.”

Her captor said nothing. He mused, silently, for a moment, before he stood and returned to the cabin. Plucking a radio from the seat, he stepped outside, so Catalyst could no longer hear him. It took him a moment to find the correct signal, but soon he was on the line with headquarters. It was the operator with the lisp.

”This is Agent. Check records on public executions in Bogao, going back to Kuvira’s occupation.” There was silence for a few minutes, save the sound of pages turning. Finally, the operator replied.

”There hasn’t been a state-recognized execution in Bogao in eleven years, Agent.”

Satisfied, the Agent hung up and returned to the cabin. As he started the truck, he began to think about just what that meant.

***

Asami was having trouble sleeping. Her mind was still wide awake.

She rolled onto her side and looked out the soaring window that curved along the wall of her quarters. Below, in the shadows of the nighttime ground, a quartet of lights glowed softly. The engineer pondered what they might be; perhaps a strangely shaped house, or more likely a pair of cars parked up on some unseen road. She groaned. This was not conducive to the serenity needed for sleeping.

As she sat up and stretched, smoothing out her nightgown, she looked back into her room. In the faint light from the full moon outside, she could just make out the familiar details. There was her desk, strewn with papers and blueprints and sketches. Her vanity, with some basic makeup, was open, and she could see herself staring back from the mirror.

And on the wall, her radio was blinking.

Raising an eyebrow, she slid out of her plush covers and hurried over, picking it up. The radio was one of her tinkering projects, and was designed to pick up broad signals that found it. That light only activated when someone was broadcasting. Asami lifted the earpiece and listened intently. On the other end was a young woman’s voice, and she seemed to be on the verge of tears. She was just repeating one sentence, over and over.

”... We need your help. Avatar Korra, we need your help. Avatar Korra, we need your help…”

Asami fiddled with the radio for a moment before she lifted the mouthpiece. “This is the airship of Avatar Korra. We’re reading you.”

The woman made a sort of strangled gasp, before her muffled voice spoke to somebody on her end. “She's here!” A moment passed before she continued, now speaking to Asami. “They took her. They took Jin. We can't get her back alone, please you have to help us-”

”Woah woah, hold on. Who are you?” Asami tried to get the other woman to calm down, but to no avail.

”Please! She's my best friend, and we can't do this by ourselves, please Avatar! We can't-”

Asami sighed slightly. Looks like she wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight. “Okay, okay okay. Give me your name and a place we can meet you, and we’ll see. I can't guarantee anything, but we’ll do our best to help.”

The woman on the other end spouted out thanks, as well as the location of a small clearing in the woods nearby, which would be easy to find from the air. “And what's your name?” Prompted Asami again, writing down on pad and paper in the dim light.

It took the woman a moment to respond. “Uh… I'm not supposed to tell anyone… My codename is Central, if that helps.”

Asami rubbed her brow in frustration. “Sure. Central it is. But listen, if we’re going to help you, we had better get a lot more answers once we meet in person.”

”Of course, sorry.” Central replied quickly. “See you at daybreak Avatar.”

“I'm not-” Asami’s protest was cut off as the radio went silent. She hung up the hand piece and flopped into her chair, sighing heavily again before reaching for another hand piece- this one wired into the ship’s intercom.

Pushing the ‘Bridge’ button, she cleared her throat.

”Kanai, come in?” A moment later, the helmsman replied.

”Good evening miss Sato. What can I help you with?”

Asami relayed the course to the meeting point, then hung up and paused a moment. She glanced out at the moonlit peaks, and couldn't help but smile as she pressed the ‘Room 4’ button on the intercom and spoke softly into it.

A couple moments passed before Korra’s bleary voice slurred out. “Whatsgoingon, Mimi?”

The older woman felt herself blushing at the slurred nickname. ”Sorry to wake you, darling, but we have a situation. Meet me in the galley in ten, okay?”

A stifled yawn came over the wire as Korra replied. “Sure. Everything okay?”

Asami grinned a little more. “We have an adventure on our hands.”

***

Korra blinked heavily and listened to Asami and Kanai talk. Something about landing ropes and controlling yaw. Airship talk. The Avatar softly bit into a fruit -a banana, she thought, too tired to check- and chewed contemplatively. She hadn't gotten much sleep in the past couple days, so she'd really been relishing the rest. And then someone needed help. Korra couldn't fault them for that, but still. Poor timing.

She blinked again and watched Asami nod. The older woman was clad in a simple blouse over her nightgown, with her hair pulled back into a ponytail. She was so cool. She'd always been a night lizard-owl, which was impressive, when compared to Korra’s more daytime-oriented ways. A smile was passed to Kanai as he left back towards the bow, then the smile turned towards Korra -and turned more intimate- as Asami sat next to her at the bar of the galley.

”This Central girl sounded panicked.” Asami recalled, taking a banana of her own. “As suspicious as all this is, I don't think it's a trap.”

Korra grunted in affirmation, taking another hearty bite of fruit. “I could go alone. Just in case it is an ambush.”

Asami scoffed good-naturedly. “You know Bolin wouldn't stand for it. Neither would Mako, as much as he doesn't want to admit it. And the Airbenders won't leave your side out here.” She reached over and wrapped an arm around Korra’s hip. “To say nothing of me.”

Korra grinned sleepily. “You guys are too good to me.” She leaned into her girlfriend and sighed. “How long until we land?”

”Three hours. It's not a very big clearing, so we're waiting till dawn for safety reasons.”

It took the Avatar a few moments to respond. “We should head to our rooms and get some more sleep. We’ll need our strength in the morning.”

Even though she said as much, Opal found them both still snuggled asleep together, three hours later, at dawn.

***

Fa watched the graceful airship slipping towards them, still too far to be heard but near enough for her to see the orange and yellow stains from the rising sun spread on its white panelling. After a few moments, it turned just enough to reflect the light down into her eyes, causing her to lower her head and grimace. She blinked a few times and sniffled a little. It had been impossible to hide her crying from Guo and Ru, but she promised herself she would not let the Avatar see it. She would be brave.

The young woman had done little but cry since Jin’s capture. She was ashamed of how unproductive she'd been, but there was nothing to be done. Without Ru and Guo, she would have been inconsolable.

A few moments of observation later, she turned and descended the tree she was perched in, alighting gently on the ground and turning to her companions, who sat pensively nearby. She sighed heavily and muttered, “Looks like she’s coming down in the clearing over there, like we agreed.” Guo stood and began to walk in the direction she pointed, pausing only to place his hand on her shoulder in an attempt at comfort. As the earthbender disappeared around a stand of trees, Ru sighed and removed his glasses, wiping them on his thin shirt.

“We’ll get her back, Fa. I promise, she’ll be okay.” He smiled at her as he stood and replaced his spectacles.

“You don’t know that.” Fa mumbled softly, turning her back on him and fighting to hold back the tears once more. After a few ragged breaths, she chuckled hollowly and turned on her partner again. “What are we doing, Ru? I’m sixteen years old, Jin’s only eighteen. Why did we think we could do this?” She gestured broadly with her arms. “I mean, it’s only an entire state! What could we possibly do? What could Jin have possibly done? Why didn’t I talk her out of this? Why didn’t we ever stop and consider the consequences of all this? Why did-”

Her question was cut short when she suddenly found herself wrapped in Ru’s lanky arms, held in his silent embrace. She paused for a moment before she buried her face in his chest, sobbing. After a long pair of minutes, she slowed and breathed heavily, mumbling to him, or perhaps to nobody, “Sorry.” She paused a few moments more, then added “She means the world to me.”

Ru gently released Fa, smiling and resting a hand on her trembling shoulder. “I know. That’s why we’re going to save her. You wait and worry about the rest of Bogao once we have her back home.” He paused a moment longer and looked into her eyes before he started off after Guo, ready to meet the airship.

Fa wiped her eyes on her sleeve and tried to smile. “How do you stay so positive, Ru?”

She was never quite sure if she heard his answer right, and she never did ask for clarification. But as he turned the corner into the woods, she could have sworn he muttered to her, “Being able to lie to yourself is the first skill you master.”


End file.
